


The Cuckoo's Trick

by Fyliwion



Series: 30 Kisses [22]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: 30 Kisses Challenge, Angst, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Future Fic, In Hiding, Kid Fic, Marriage of Convenience, Minor Character Death, Pining, Romance, Unconventional Families, Undercover, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:27:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26615203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fyliwion/pseuds/Fyliwion
Summary: They thought they had a way to destroy the syndicate for good, and then the unexpected happened.Life rarely lets things go as planned.
Relationships: Hakuba Saguru/Nakamori Aoko, Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid/Nakamori Aoko
Series: 30 Kisses [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1713385
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	The Cuckoo's Trick

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my fics that I love coming back to. I never could get Aoko right in it, and I do some weird stuff with tenses I realized no amount of editing can fix (I was in an experimental stage), but I still really love this one and the premise behind it. We're reaching the home stretch now. 
> 
> 30 Kisses Challenge   
> Theme #22: Cradle

She woke up screaming and searching for breath that wouldn't come. Her sobs were uncontrollable as she sat up, even as a figure entered the room to place a soothing hand on her shoulder. She nearly screamed again, but after taking a moment to recognize the face, Aoko reached across to bury her face in his chest.

He hesitantly wrapped his arms around the woman and rocked her carefully, "Shhh… It's alright Aoko. Just a dream- It's not real." He stiffened just slightly as she clutched him harder, still sobbing into his chest.

But then…

"It.. It was just like that night-" she whispered. "But they actually… I didn't…"

He smoothed her hair and shook his head, "It didn't happen. Everything's alright now..."

She didn't move from his hold and let her tears drench his nightshirt. The nightmare had been more vivid than usual, or at least more vivid than it had been the past year or so. She could nearly smell the gunpowder, see the red pool onto the already slick ground from the rain, the look of horror on Kaito's face.

Except that in her dream she'd been too late. In her dream she was always too late, and they always grabbed her and forced her to watch him die slowly. Or sometimes they turned the gun on her, and she could feel the punches, slaps, every knife point before they finally informed him they would be killing her. She would watch him yell, scream, be tortured again and again until they finally shot her.

Then she'd wake up…

And he'd always be there to hold her. Always come to her room and gently rock her to sleep before Shiroto woke up. It was the best they could manage under the circumstances.

Her tears subsided enough that she was able to speak one more, and seemed better aware of her surroundings. Slowly she pulled away from him before she whispered near inaudibly, "Thank you Saguru."

Her eyes flickered up to catch the flash of worry that flew across his golden eyes as he nodded, "Of course. You know I never mind."

"I.. I know… but you've already done so much-"

"Aoko…"

"Saguru I don't know if I can do this anymore."

"Don't…"

It was always the same argument.

When Hakuba Saguru announced his engagement to Nakamori Aoko, the first comment was how it seemed somewhat out of the blue, not to mention they hadn't even completed high school yet. The real gossip didn't begin until the somewhat rushed marriage finished with an almost immediate pregnancy. The fact the baby was born nearly a month premature also was discussed in great detail.

Except the pair went on without so much as blinking. They "looked" like the perfect couple in many ways, claiming they'd met through both the Task Force, and then again at school when something had clicked. They both hated KID, they both enjoyed justice, and they were a golden couple of law and order. They both spent nearly as much time in England as they did in Ekoda, and Aoko simply smiled and said she was growing to love it as much as Japan.

Most people just let it go and decided that while perhaps their initial start had been a little unorthodox, they seemed to have a genuinely happy family. Her father never commented very much on his opinion, but he seemed to give a grudging approval.

And life went on.

Until Shiroto was introduced to the world.

The first whispers came at his birth. The healthy little boy came squalling into the world looking much like any other baby as fiery tempered as his mother, and brilliant blue eyes.

Of course his mother had them too, so most raised an eyebrow but let it slide. After all, Hakuba Saguru was half English so perhaps it ran in his genealogy.

The real gossip only started after a month or so, when a mop of unruly dark hair appeared with no sign of changing. True, Saguru  _ did  _ claim the child as his own; however, the resemblance between Hakuba Shiroto and Saguru was near to none, and as he grew older the resemblance only grew more dissimilar.

Other whispers floated around concerning a well known magician by the name of Kuroba Kaito, who on the other hand could have easily been the boy's twin when he was a child. A man who happened to have been best friends with Nakamori Aoko until he moved away a short time before her marriage to Hakuba.

Yes it was noted that he had been at the wedding. Yes it was said that he had claimed he was happy his good friend had found someone who he knew would take excellent care of her.But as soon as she was married, Kuroba was on a plane out of Japan and out of their lives. In many ways it was as if he'd never known them, and the few times he was asked about her Kuroba simply said it was regrettable, but they'd just lost touch.

Except… there still lay the question of Hakuba Shiroto.

As the little boy grew each year, any rumors started to be laughed off that maybe the questions had been for naught, after all the child had a healthy love of mysteries and police work just like his father did. Hakuba had fans, and his marriage had done little to dispel his fanclub though. Ladies and men who’d been following his rise to fame, and never liked the Inspector’s daughter who stole his heart. These were the ones who liked to point out his son odd knack for mischief, and ability to attract trouble wherever he went and see how many ways could he bend the rules to his own accord.

And then there was the time his parents found him pouring over books on magic, not to mention when he discovered his father's stash of Lupin books.

Neither of his parents seemed to be amused that he found the thief far more interesting than Holmes, especially at age five.

It was right around his sixth birthday; however, that Kuroba Kaito made his entrance back in Ekoda. It was one of his first magic shows in his hometown, Kuroba Chikage having died a few months before he left, and the tickets were selling out faster than people could buy them.

He’d left a budding magician, and returned home as an International Celebrity. 

The topic would never have come up though, had it not been for the little boy running home and yelling that he would do anything if he could go to Kuroba-sama's show for his birthday. He'd heard so much about Kuroba-sama, and everybody said Kuroba-sama was the best magician everywhere, and Kuroba-sama was so very awesome.

Neither Saguru or Aoko knew quite what to say. His mother fought to keep a smile, while her husband's thoughtful expression never moved.

"We'll see…" he told his son gently before sending him off.

But all they heard about for the next week was Kuroba-sama. For a six year old, the child was oddly persistent, but then it made sense that being the son of a detective he'd gathered some deductive skills himself. He seemed to find every article pertaining to the show, every clip out, every ad... 

The thing that finally did it though, was when the boy ran into the living room to show his parents the new trick he's learned from a book he'd found at the library, and it was his father who finally gave in as the boy pulled a row of scarves and then presented his mother a rose from seemingly midair.

Aoko, against all odds, did not cry.

"Aoko… will you be alright?" The detective asked once more in the room as he sat next to his wife. "I can simply see about taking him somewhere else, and we will say you're not feeling well. I might be able to get off work-"

She shook her head with a little more vehemence than strictly necessary. "No Saguru," she knew what it was like even getting those tickets in the first place. She knew how much he risked losing by simply doing this, "No. I'll.. I'll take him. I know that case is important to you, and you probably want to see him less than I do."

Hakuba frowned at her, "Are you certain?"

"I would risk too much if I didn't Saguru. We've already gone this far, and we know that they might still be watching us. After everything we’ve done? If something were to happen to Shiroto now…" she refused to dwell on that possibility, "It'll be good for me anyway. I think."

There was a flash of something in the detective's eyes, "You still love him." It wasn't a question.

"I can't help it," she whispered.

He gave a terse nod. " It’s fine. I know. Keep the door open tonight though, in case the nightmares come back?" he offered softly.

She nodded and then forced a smile, "Well, I better go see if Shiro-kun's ready, hm? Good luck with the case."

His eyes didn't leave hers, but he gave a silent reply. Neither of them trust the other to speak as she all but fled from the room.

The little boy was bouncing the entire show, and in many ways it was like an answer to a prayer for her. She was glad that her son was too involved in the magic to notice the times she nearly cried, nor the moment she was certain Kaito had spotted her on stage.

In many ways she wanted to yell at Hakuba for doing his job so well. He was a detective, and a well off one at that, thus it made sense that for his son he'd buy him anything, including a center seat just a handful of rows away from the stage. Of course he could afford the best. Of course they'd be that close, after all it would look odd if they weren't.

The Hakuba had a reputation to uphold. 

It also meant that they happened to be in full view of the magician.

By the end of the show her son had sworn off being a detective, and decided he would someday be a famous magician… 

“Or perhaps a Magician Detective! There can be detectives who use magic right?” He asked as an afterthought.

Aoko was too consumed with deciding which thought was giving her more grey hairs: That her son was now set on being a magician or that Kaito was known for meeting his crowd in the lobby as they left. It was one of the things that made him so popular amongst his fans, and there was little she could do as her eager son literally ran from the theatre with her in tow, to join the myriad of other younglings in dog-pile-the-magician.

She had just reached the door as she saw the young magician's eyes land on her son, and it took all of her willpower not to lose her composure completely.

Especially when she saw the look of surprise that flew across the man's face.

She was fighting between hysterical laughter and a sob as her son held up his hand to pull out a seemingly giant chocolate bar for the magician as he said in his best stage voice, "Your show was great! I bet you’re hungry!" It didn't help that she had to watch as Kaito fought to keep his composure as well. His eyes went wide, and his smile disappeared for more than a moment. She had to watch as he rebuilt his poker face from scratch, and ruffled the boy’s hair with a laugh that could have matched her own as he took the boy's chocolate bar. He laughed harder as he watched Shiroto pull his autograph book from a sleeve and thrust it at Kaito.

She found the strength to smile herself as his eyes flickered to where she stood and his gaze met hers. After a moment, the magician bent down to whisper something in the boy's ear, and she watched her son light up even more. The little boy grabbed his newest idol's hand, and she paled as they both headed that way. She forced a smile as she watched Kaito come up to her.

"So you're this tyke's mother hmmm? Quite a beautiful lady to have such a rascal as a son-" he said, giving her a wink.

She laughed and nudged her son, "Well that's why I always blamed that part on his father." It was a miracle she didn’t choke.

His smile never dropped, even as she watched a hint of pain behind his ache.

"I imagine so-" said the magician as his smile slipped into his trademark smirk. "By the way, My name's Kuroba Kaito, though I'm sure you already know that. It's a pleasure to meet you." He pulled a rose in midair to hand to her, and she saw the hesitation in his eyes even as he did so.

Personally she was amazed that her words could find her tongue, "Hakuba Aoko," the name sounded weak as she said it. "And my son… Shiroto." it was her turn to pause as she added, "Hakuba Shiroto, though I'm certain he's already told you all that. I hope we’ve instilled enough manners for him to properly introduce himself."

“Mom!!!” 

Kaito laughed, “Perfect little gentleman this one.” 

Shiroto bounced enthusiastically, "Isn't he amazing Mom? Isn't he! He's the best magician ever! I already told him I want to be just like him when I grow up! He’s even better then Lupin! He’s real!"

It was Kaito whose face went pale this time.

Aoko managed a strangled laugh, "He just found my husband's stash of Maurice Leblanc's books. I think he has them for research or something of the sort, you might know him as the detective whose all but dedicated his life to catching the thief KID."

"Of course-" said the magician with a nod. "Hakuba Saguru… I've heard good things about him. He takes good care of you both I'm sure?"

She rubbed her eyes, blinking away tears, "Yes… He's a good man."

Kaito nodded silently.

"Kuroba-sama should come over for dinner sometime! Yeah Kuroba-sama?! I bet Daddy would love to meet you! And you said in your interview that you'd be settling down in Ekoda for a while right Kuroba-sama?"

Aoko started slightly taken aback, "Is that true?"

A quick nod and Aoko frowned, "Oh… That's to say. I'm sure Kai-Kuroba-sama has much more important things to do than come to lunch with us." This time she couldn't meet the man's eyes, but looking at her son's pained face was nearly enough to make her choose the man instead. "Not to say he wouldn't be most welcome at our home…"

Kaito's mouth was in a pale line and he nodded, "I'll think about it, how's that squirt?" He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a smirk. "Until we meet again! Although-" he mused, "You gave me chocolate so it's only right you get something in return. Let's see…" he held up his hand and a book appeared and he grinned, "You said you liked Lupin right?"

The boy's eyes went wide, and he nodded fiercely.

Kaito smiled, "Well… I'm a pretty big fan myself. But you know… I've read this copy so much I've pretty much got it memorized, and I bet you don't have your own copy of  _ The Extraordinary Adventures _ do you?" He watched as the little boy shook his head vigorously. He laughed, "Well, you know I've always wanted to give someone else a chance at it. This one has Japanese and French at that, so maybe you can get your Dad to help you start reading up a little on his native language,  _ oui mon cher _ ?" He winked at the boy.

"You mean it!?"

"You seem like a good person for the job. You take after my own if I do say so myself. I've even got a couple magic tricks darted down in there from when I was a tad older than you. Maybe you can figure them out for yourself. What do you say?"

The little boy yelped and nodded even harder before leaping up to hug the magician fiercely. The man looked slightly taken aback, but with a smile mixed of pain and delight hugged the boy back. He laughed, "Glad to see it makes you so happy. Hey why don't you go look through it and make sure it's in good shape, while I talk to your Mom real quick hmm? I want to see about getting that invite from your Dad for dinner maybe?"

The boy, who really looked like he couldn't get happier, gave another wordless squawk before running off to show some of the other kids his gift. 

"…You carry that around with you?" she asked softly as her son ran out of earshot.

"Sometimes I get bored… it usually manages to distract me and Dad told me it would bring me luck. I was his age when I got it-- Don't give me that look Aoko, my luck can't possibly get worse at this point and you can't tell me Hakuba doesn't have Doyle's canon on him all the time. I have no doubt that every-other case he probably pulls it out and starts deducing..."

"…You know very well he doesn't, though to be fair I think he does usually have one of them near on hand when he's at work. It’s like you said… for luck." She looked at the man still reminding herself to breathe.

"To each his own," he said with a smile. "Though I am a little surprised. I wouldn't have thought that… well…"

"It's the trouble raising him in the house of a detective. He deduces nearly as well as some adults, and gets in just as much mischief as you," Aoko made the mistake of looking up at him.

"God Aoko-" she heard him whisper in her ear, and she realized for the first time they'd somehow pulled away from the eyesight of his crowd. Leave it to a phantom thief to hide them in plain sight.

"Kaito we can't…" her voice trembled even as she said it. "We've managed this long…"

"I know…" she felt his hand touch hers, and a shiver still ran through her spine. At this rate she wasn't going to be able to keep from crying, not if they didn't stop soon. Gods she missed him, like an ache that never quite left. 

"I'll talk to Saguru," she told him softly. "Maybe… maybe you can at least come over, for dinner." She fought a smile, "After all it's not as if they don't know we were friends in high school. It makes sense an old friend might come over now that he’s back in town, and perhaps dote a little on our son… perhaps…"

"Perhaps they'll be behind bars soon," He added again just as softly. "Perhaps… the danger will be gone. Perhaps…" she felt him squeeze her fingers, "Perhaps I found  _ her.  _ "

Aoko was positive her eyes had gone as wide as saucers, and she was trembling even more, " _ Pandora? _ "

"Yeah…"

He suddenly let go of his hand as Shiroto ran back over to them grinning, "Mom! I'm so happy! So can Kuroba-sama come visit? Pleaseeeee?" He was still bouncing and she forced a laugh.

She pulled him in her arms into a tight hug and smiled, "We'll see. Both Kuroba-sama and I agree we'll talk to your father first but… there’s a possibility. So long as Kuroba-sama isn’t too busy of course."

“I’ll be sure to make time.” 

The last part made a glimmer of a real smile peak through as she looked at the magician, who grinned back. 

Twin smiles on both of their faces.

* * *

  
Aoko wasn't sure how she could face her husband. She was even less certain how she kept from cracking as her son bounced around telling him all about the night.

And the guilt sunk in when the boy went on-

"You should have SEEN how he flirted with Mom! It was hilarious! He even gave her a rose from midair! He was much better at it than me too! I think he was in love with her, you have competition Dad!" He grinned up at his father as though he'd made an especially clever joke.

Saguru managed a smile even as he said, "Sounds as if you and your mother had a busy evening. You better get ready for bed. Come get me when you're ready and I'll tuck you in and you can finish telling me about it sound good?"

"Yes Dad!"

Shiroto ran off up to his room leaving the parents alone, with Aoko still unable to meet her husband’s eye.

"In love with you?" he asked softly. She was surprised, and thought he might have been at least a little angrier. It had been seven years after all, and she knew how unfair she'd been to him all this time but-

"He didn't do anything but give me a rose, Saguru. He even introduced himself-" she laughed, except halfway through she almost started crying. Now that Shiroto wasn't in the room it was hard not to. Not when she’d held back all night. "I'm sorry… I- I've tried. I've tried so hard.. But…"

Hakuba reached up to place a hand on her chin and have her look up at him. His face was calmer than either her or Kaito had managed through their poor sham of an introduction. "I would be quite a poor detective if I hadn't known what I was getting into. You know as well as I that I came in knowing full well you don't love me-" she tried cutting him off but he wouldn't let her, "As a brother maybe yes… but not as a lover. I will admit I'm fairly disappointed Kuroba hasn't managed to find that damn gem of his yet, especially when last I heard Kudo thought he'd made a breakthrough with that second branch of that same group."

Aoko pulled away, "He said that he thinks he found her. Finally. He said that they might finally get the men behind bars- that… that he thought they were close and that…"

"Dad I'm ready!" they heard the yell from upstairs.

Saguru sighed, "We'll talk about it late and deal with it as it comes… alright?"

Aoko nodded rubbing her eyes.

And the detective sighed and headed upstairs after the boy.

There was an air of anxiety the first time the magician came over, but after the initial dinner party life eased on. Kuroba seemed to come over occasionally to visit them, a friend of the family, and more than once showed up at the door in disguise.

The little boy turned it into a game, and thought that Kaito did it for the same reason. To Shiroto it was a test of both his perception, deduction, and magic tricks that had started taking over a better part of their home. Aoko and Saguru decided that it might be best to refrain from mentioning the real reasons why. Aoko chose to stay away as much as possible whenever he was coming over. It was a risk she just wasn’t willing to take.

Except after over a year of this, it fell into a pattern that was far too familiar, and things began falling together far too fast. KID heists had reappeared again in that part of Japan, though most were in Tokyo proper rather than Ekoda, and after one near catastrophe both Saguru and Kaito thought perhaps it would be better if the Hakuba family went to visit the relatives in England for a bit. Take them out of the picture entirely, until they were able to close the case for good.

It wasn't until a few months there that Aoko began to realize the ache had come again, and the nightmares became frequent once more. Something that hadn't plagued her in such a way for years.

Shiroto was also older. The longer they stayed in England the more the boy began to discern. He was the son of a detective after all. He grew quiet and studied his relatives. He took in his mother’s behavior, and looked at his surroundings with new insight. The hair color, the eye color, the way they held themselves, and the slight cold shoulder he and his mother always received. They were kind to him, but he was different and clearly didn't fit in. 

Aoko didn't find out why until they made it back to Japan.

He had been oddly silent all day while they were out, and suddenly she felt her son's hand squeeze hers tightly. It troubled her that he seemed upset and she didn't know why, but in that way he was just like his father- always keeping it to himself rather than sharing. 

Thus she was even more surprised when her seven year old son asked, "…Am I adopted?"

She nearly fell over and had to laugh, "What?"

"Am I adopted…?"

It was only after she saw his face that she realized he was absolutely serious. She found her footing unsteady, "No! What would make you think that?"

The boy's face looked strangely pensive, and in some ways she wondered if he knew just how many mannerism he'd picked up from Saguru. At times she wondered how anyone could doubt his parentage, but of course next to Kaito-

"Well…" he said, still frowning, "I… I don't look like any of my relatives when we were in England, and they don't really treat me like it. They all have pale hair, and brown or gold eyes, and you're the only one with blue ones…"

She laughed, "Well that happens you know-"

"…but… I…" he frowned again, "Is Dad…” he took a deep breath. “Is Dad really my Dad?"

"...Why wouldn't you think so?" She was finding it harder and harder to breathe. Sure she'd expected this conversation, but much later or perhaps after they'd explained things. Not like that… Not now…

But then if you looked at whose son it was, and then looked at the work Saguru was in- not to mention what books he was reading by the time he was in elementary school.

Maybe she should have expected it.

"All the other kids have more in common with theirs, and sometimes I don't think Dad's… Dad's really the same. I know he _loves_ me. I love him too but- other people talk about it too- I've overheard some of my teachers, and other students…" he muttered the last part not meeting his mother's eyes. "They don't know I'm listening so… yeah…"

She was doing everything to keep calm by that point as her son looked up at her, "He's not my 'real' Dad is he?"

She shut her eyes even as she felt the tears starting to fall down her cheeks, "Shiroto…"

He smiled up at her, and only seemed slightly upset himself, "It's okay Mom. Don't cry! I… I always wondered. I mean he's still 'Dad' but… I mean I do want to be a detective ya know?!" His grin broadened and she couldn't help but think that he looked more like Kaito than he could ever Saguru. She wasn't sure how she'd tell him though, she wasn't even sure how to handle it. Most people never had their eight year olds smart enough to figure it out, not when the rest of the world had finally accepted it.

"Shiroto… we… we have our reasons. Love, I need you to understand how important it is you don't tell anyone this, please? Right now it has to stay a secret between us." She pulled the little boy into her arms holding him.

"Dad knows though right?"

"Yes."

The little boy gave a small nod, and curled up in his Mom's arms, "Love you…" he told her softly.

And at that moment she prayed harder than ever that Kaito found that damned gem soon, before they all found themselves in hell.

* * *

The night that had started it all had been miserable. The weather, the attitudes, even the timing had all been at its worst. High cold winds, and a bitter cold rain had started the heist off- and even after the storm ended the cold seemed to bite at them.

She already knew he was KID. She'd been furious with him, but after a near miss at a heist the week before their emotions had gone on overload and she'd given in. To be fair they'd been dating for months by then, but the sudden rush had left them selfish- and neither wanted to share the other with death.

Not before that…

But the news had come mid-heist that there had been an accident. Apparently a fire at a house, with a woman trapped inside, and everything had been incinerated in minutes.

They found out it was the Kuroba house after KID got the gem- and she'd seen him take off with a look of terror she couldn't have believed possible.

Only she and Hakuba seemed to realize the trap that was laid.

She made it before the detective somehow, but if anything it made it all worse. The scene went hellish, and more blood was spilled than necessary. The man had ended up dead, but there had been little doubt left concerning who knew Kaito was KID, and Hakuba had shown up just in time to keep Kaito from getting himself killed.

Of course, they found out just how serious the situation was when the man gave full details on how Kaito's mother had died, and what they'd do to his other friends and relatives if he didn’t hand over Pandora. Hakuba had heard every word before bursting onto the scene afterwards, and both he and Aoko had been forced to carry an injured thief to Hakuba's home to make sure the man didn't go further into shock.

By the time they'd assessed how serious the situation was, they’d already started going over possible retaliations, plots, and ways they could remedy the seemingly impossible situation.

They found a way, too. 

For all the horror that had happened, through the death and despair it looked like they might have a way out for Kaito. 

At least, until they found out Aoko was pregnant a week or so later.

Everything shattered. 

The syndicate was leaving more warnings by the day, and Kaito didn't know what to do. It was a short amount of time before they found out about Aoko, and targeted her and possibly Hakuba as well.

It was an even shorter amount before they knew whose child it was, and the target on Aoko would just grow. There were spies among the police, of that they were sure, and it was only a matter or when rather than if. 

Hakuba offered an alternative. 

They were graduating in another couple months, and he was already out of school. He would offer to marry Aoko, and they would have a perfect alibi. The two of them had been spending more time than usual together, and if people asked about the quick pregnancy, well let them assume he'd just hastened to do the right thing and cover it up.

He cared for her, and she at least thought of him as a friend. Kaito was going to have to leave the country as it was, since a new Inspector who was visiting had been building evidence to arrest Kuroba under false premises. At the rate the investigation was going, the repercussions had a possibility of taking them all day with it. It was something none of them were willing to let happen, especially with a baby and Aoko’s father in the mix. They needed to stay free if they wanted to watch the syndicate fall. 

It was only supposed to be about a year, just until the baby was born, and then they'd be able to make the final move to bring everyone down and the truth could come out.

Funny, how one year could become just a few shy of a decade.

Then, just as suddenly, it was over. 

They'd brought down the group, with more of a bang than they'd intended, and somehow they'd managed to get the full truth and even keep Kaito from being arrested.

He'd never kept anything he'd stolen, and between Hakuba's testimony as well as help from another detective by the name of Kudo Shinichi who had dealt with another branch connected with the group- prosecution was off the table and suddenly KID was a National Hero. 

It may have helped they had one of the best lawyer's in Japan through Kudo's wife, Mouri Ran.

Still… Aoko wasn't certain what her son would do when he found out the truth, and even Kaito seemed hesitant as they unfolded most of the story to her son.

Perhaps it had been a miracle he had fought to see Kaito's show. 

Before that night, the last time Kaito had seen his son had been one night she'd caught him sneaking in through a window to look over the cradle. It had been the one chance he'd had, and she'd warned him away, but she'd watched him kiss his son's forehead and then bury his face in her neck as he whispered apologies.

Apologizing for not being there during those months. Apologizes for doing all of this to her. Apologizing that he wasn't the one there when she gave birth, though he admitted sneaking in as a nurse for a glimpse at his son.

It was the only time she'd ever seen him cry, and she wondered if that was the reason that even at the worst times she could never hate him, and never fully love Saguru.

True, there was a scandal when she and Saguru split, but both of them knew it was necessary. Perhaps they should have years before, but in many ways the man truly loved Shiroto as his own son.

Well you couldn't go through that many years living a lie together and fail to have some sort of dysfunctional family.

But even if Shiroto didn't understand all of it fully, he knew one thing for certain-

He'd never seen his mother light up as she did when they announced Kuroba Kaito’s freedom. Shiroto sat there and watched the magician leap up, wrap his arms around Aoko, and kiss her like he sometimes saw in the manga the girls in his class read.

Like a picture he'd found years ago when looking through a box of photographs for a school project. A picture that had been at the very bottom in an envelope with a dried rose. A photo with a younger version of his mom, and a young man who looked  _ just  _ like Kuroba Kaito. The pair of them standing over a cradle holding a young child, and beaming like nothing else. It was the only thing he'd ever taken without his mother's permission, because the strange moonlit scene had been so peculiar… and the inscription on the back had made the mystery even more of a challenge at the time.

_ So I'll always be with you, and we have one shot of our family.  _

_ Together.  _

_ Love,  _

_ Kaito _

_ P.S: Thank Hakuba again for taking the shot for us. I know he still probably wants to murder me. _

_ P.P.S: Make sure you hide this or Hakuba will murder us more for leaving evidence laying around... _


End file.
